This Is How I Entered The EU During COVID (as a US citizen)
My boyfriend and I have been planning a world tour in 2021 since 2019.
By the end of 2020, I was so upstaged by work and the holidays that the world tour did not cross my mind. I saw the whole idea as a far ahead dream we both shared, but not something that could happen anytime soon.
*Especially not after such an eventful year.
Gracefully, my boyfriend is such an ambitious dreamer that this adventure remained very serious in his mind. My Christmas gift from him to me was the start of our trip. He got an Airbnb in Italy from February to March 2021 and the second stay in Budapest starting in March to April 2021.
We were beyond excited to make the preparations until COVID hit us in the face —once again, thanks, COVID!.
When we were about to buy our plane tickets, we realized that international traveling is banned unless you meet SPECIFIC requirements pertaining to the country you wish to enter.
The start of January 2021 was seriously stressful for us. We spent HOURS trying to figure out whether we could travel before the opportunity to cancel the Airbnbs expired. We analyzed our options through the Travel.State.Gov website, where most countries’ consulates stated that US citizens are not allowed to enter unless they are residents of the EU country they wish to enter.
We visited, called, and emailed three different consulates (Hungary, Italy, France) with no luck. The consulates were very strict with their rules, and they all cut us short. In summary, we were screwed.
Luckily, my boyfriend is a Spain citizen, so we began to consider starting our world tour there, but the information we found online was not promising.
At this point, we knew he could travel, but not me.
After days of reading and investigating our options, we found out that if we could prove that we sustain a “long-term serious relationship,” Spain could allow me to enter the country as his companion. Yet, the consulate advised me not to buy plane tickets until they have processed and approved my request.
To be exact, the consulate of Spain in Miami requested the following documents (via email):
PROOF OF STABLE OR DURABLE RELATIONSHIP and coexistence of at least one year (non-exhaustive and non-exclusive list of documents that will be evaluated globally):
- Documents from local authorities or bodies that prove the stable relationship (ownership of bank accounts, rental contracts, joint invoices, ownership of common property, etc.)
- Documents from Spanish authorities or organizations.
- Accreditation of appointment to marry
- Registration in the municipal register, etc.
- Joint rental contracts, bank account ownership, joint invoices, etc.
We generated a license/certificate of “domestic partnership” in Miami-Dade County. It cost us $66, and it was executed in less than a week. Other attachments included our lease documents (to prove that we have been living together for a year) and a receipt of something we bought together. I sent all of these documents in PDF format to this email address: cog.miami.vis@maec.es.
Luckily, Spain's consulate in Miami answers fairly quickly, though it is best to write to them in Spanish. Once I sent everything, they notified me that the documents were under review.
They took about ten days to answer me. It turns out that all we needed to do was to apostille (by the Convention de La Haye du 5 Octobre 1961) our domestic partnership license.
Just to clarify, if you have a domestic partnership licensure/certificate, you do NOT need to get any of the documents they asked for in the email. You WILL have to provide evidence of the documentation listed above if you are not a legal couple (to demonstrate that you have a “stable bond”).
In summary, if you or your partner is a citizen of a European country, you can both travel to that country, specifically, as long as you have a legal document that recognizes you as an unmarried couple. All you need to do is get that document apostilled by La Haye.
Note: it can take you up to three weeks to get these documents together, so if you want to travel soon, start NOW.
Other requirements to travel during COVID include:
- Present a negative viral COVID-19 test taken within three days before departure.
- Fill out a Health Control Form, which you can access from the page spth.gob.es. This form must be completed 48hrs before the flight.
We hope that the COVID19 regulations become less strict in these upcoming months to fulfill our dream to travel and be digital nomads for a year.
Daniela Marin | Licensed Therapist |Founder of HealingRight
